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Undoubtedly this is a very rewarding job in the adventure of moulding readers. Among the reasons why it is important to work on reading with children and toddlers from 0 to 3 years, are the many possibilities of playing, learning and affection. Children's literature talks about their lives and it is essential at that age to show them the world. The colours, the animals, the night and the sleep, the food, the bath, are, among others, everyday subjects very common in fiction literature.
Encouraging the encounter with books
These early and positive contacts with reading should take place in a proper environment which will be determinated by: the quality and variety of reading materials, the appealing activities related tothem and a place where access to books and programs accompanied by an adult can be facilitated. The loan of these materials is one of the most effective actions to involve the family and give them some guidelines to keep on reading together. The school, the library and the bookshop are essential resources to rely on for sharing and obtaining reading information.
Being ready to be up to the task
· It is very important to select good readings materials. To choose well, one needs to know the reader. General interests and developmental characteristics are guidelines. It is essential that the list of tittles is varied in terms of subjects, genres, types and media.
· Storytelling as a communicative strategy is the main ally to introduce children to the literature. The narrative needs at these early ages require speech in the reading of images and, on occasions, visual support of speech. It is advisable to use different techniques to tell stories such as: orality, books, puppets, drawings ... The audiovisual presentations of tales through videos, DVDs and montages from music and images offer an alternative way to enjoy both still and moving images.
Babies and toddlers: a really demanding public
Developing a taste for reading before children read requires that we remain alert of the responses we receive in order to adapt to the children’s needs as readers. Up to 3 years it is advisable to take into account:
· Games as a working methodology.
· Activities must be short and concepts simple.
· Repetition is a technique to encourage people to participate and reinforce concepts.
· It is advisable to follow the same pattern: Routines = Learning.
· It is necessary to switch dynamics to prevent tiredness.
Rituals around reading
Keep the attention:
One of the main obstacles when someone works with babies and toddlers is their short attention span and their constant distractions. Here are some tips to achieve and maintain their interest:
At the beginning:
· Look for an object or an action that they can identify as the beginning of the activity and that indicates a change of activity (light variation, music, a character, a toy, an instrument ...)
· Resort to Folklore to raise expectations about content and to create a pleasant atmosphere. Pay attention to any element of the cover or the flyleaf which can be related to a clapping rhyme, song or poem and proposeit as a game.
During the story:
· Set the narrative rhythm with body rhythms (clapping hands, steps ...) or onomatopoeic sounds.
Switch activities:
To follow, some suggestions to use in combination with the story:
· Music sessions: Music and percussion. Percussion instruments are very motivating. Look for different musical styles and propose easy percussion games to internalize the beat. Choose easy to use instruments such as maracas, jingle bells, tom-toms ...
· Take part in the story: After telling the story use games to work on the contents covered. For example: propose compositions on magnetised boards, find out information using rotating squares, recognize elements using illustrated cards, flannel boards activities (scenes made of flannel in which the characters are pasted by adhesive material), act out ideas or pass on rules using puppets ...
If they find their first taste of reading delicious, then it is highly likely they will want more.
If you want to choose good readings check: How to choose books for babies?
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